Emily Sortor  |  March 17, 2020

Category: Covid-19

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Princess Cruise Lines ship

Two Grand Princess passengers have filed a lawsuit over claims that Princess Cruise Lines exposed them and thousands of other passengers to COVID-19.

The coronavirus cruise ship lawsuit was filed by Brian and Melanie S. who say they were passengers onboard the Grand Princess, a Princess Cruise Lines ship, which sailed on Feb. 21 out of San Francisco.

Instead of taking their cruise vacation, the plaintiffs claim they were anchored off the coast of San Francisco for several days because an outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) emerged on the ship. Several days later, the couple say that they were let off the ship in Oakland.

According to the couple, Princess Cruise Lines unnecessarily exposed patients to the coronavirus, despite being well aware of its dangers.

Were you on a cruise that was exposed to the coronavirus? Get legal help by clicking here.

The plaintiffs note that COVID-19 became a source of public concern after 10 cases of coronavirus was discovered aboard Princess Cruise Lines’ own Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Japan. Allegedly, this outbreak on the Diamond Princess quickly spread throughout the ship, soon infecting more than 700 passengers.

The Princess cruises lawsuit argues that the disease spread quickly because the Diamond Princess passengers were put under quarantine. The plaintiffs argue that this quarantine did more harm than good, causing the infection to spread rapidly.

To support this claim, the couple point to a statement made by The Center for Disease Control made on Feb. 18, which said that “the rate of new reports of positives new on board [the Diamond Princess], especially among those without symptoms, highlights the high burden of infection on the ship and potential for ongoing risk.”

The Grand Princess COVID outbreak lawsuit says that Princess Cruise Lines failed to heed the warning offered by the CDC regarding the coronavirus outbreak on the Diamond Princess. Allegedly, Princess Cruise Lines should have known to take all necessary precautions when sailing future cruises, but failed to do this.

The company’s failure to take proper precautions and implement appropriate safety measures reportedly put the passengers and crew of the Grand Princess voyage that sailed on Feb. 21 at risk for further infection. 

The plaintiffs go on to argue that Princess Cruise Lines committed negligence and breached its duty to passengers by making a conscious decision to sail a voyage on the Grand Princess, which was known to have been exposed to COVID-19 patients.

Picturesque view from a cruise boatThe company allegedly knew that at least two passengers who disembarked from the Grand Princess on Feb. 21 had symptoms of coronavirus, but then chose to sail the same ship with new passengers again on the same day.

According to the plaintiffs, Princess Cruise Lines knowingly put 3,000 passengers on a ship known to be infected with COVID-19.

The plaintiffs note that Princess Cruise Lines went as far as to send an email on Feb. 25 to past passengers to warn them that they could have been exposed to coronavirus while on the Grand Princess.

Nonetheless, Princess Cruise Lines made the choice to sail with 3,000 new passengers, the Princess Cruise lawsuit states. According to the couple, the cruise line knowingly put its passengers in harms way in the interest of its profits.

To illustrate the gravity of this choice, the Grand Princess infected cruise ship lawsuit notes that 62 passengers who sailed on the ship were exposed to patients who were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19. Allegedly, some of these patients later died.

The couple says that Princess Cruise Lines failed to implement appropriate screening protocol for patients that boarded the ship and set sail on Feb. 21, to best protect its crew and passengers. Allegedly, the cruise line merely required passengers to fill out a piece of paper saying that they were not sick, but were never questioned or examined regarding their health.

The Princess Cruise Lines lawsuit argues that the cruise line could have easily implemented better safety measures. Additionally, based on their knowledge of the severity of COVID-19 from both the Grand Princess and Diamond Princess cruises, the company should have been well aware of steps that could be taken to make the cruise safer, the plaintiffs claim.

The plaintiffs are represented by Michael A. Simmrin of Simmrin Law Group and Debi F. Chalik of Chalik and Chalik PA.

The Grand Princess COVID-19 Outbreak Lawsuit is Brian S., et al. v. Princess Cruise Lines LTD, Case No. 2:20-cv-02430, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Los Angeles.

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4 thoughts onPrincess Cruise Lawsuit Alleges COVID-19 Peril

  1. Jeramy Hetrick says:

    Speak with our legal representatives today andd also it’s free to discover where you stand.

  2. Rayford Lai says:

    A number of our TAC insurance claims annd settlement situations are
    “no win– no charge”.

  3. Christina Platt says:

    Give me a break. Really… This is a unprecedented pandemic what would your suggestions be? Cruise ships are not designed to handle these situations. Pre-preparations would need to be made. Not even the building in California could be used for sick passengers. Get over it. You are alive.

  4. Larry Carson says:

    Add me

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